6 easy ways for jobseekers to give themselves an advantage

Think outside the box and try these tricks next time you are applying for a job.

Applying for a job does not have to be a generic process.

Jobseekers who put in a little effort or inject some creativity can give themselves an easy edge.

Interview and careers expert Kirsty Ferguson says not enough people think outside the box when applying for jobs, but it is not because they are lazy.

“They just don’t think they can,” she says.

“In industries that are more conservative, it can be harder to be creative but there are always ways to do it.”

Ferguson, founder of InterviewChix, says the key is to ditch the scattergun approach and target specific employers.

“If you decide which company you actually want to work for and you tailor your approach, you have increased your chances immediately,” she says.

Career expert and interview coach Kirsty Ferguson. Picture: Supplied

Here are some simple things jobseekers can do to stand out.

LEVERAGE LINKEDIN

Ferguson recommends including your LinkedIn URL on your resume – but says you do not have to stop there.

“Send a connection request to the hirers and managers in the business you are applying to,” she says.

“When you connect, write a note and ask a question.”

She recommends reading one of their articles or posts so you can tell them you found it interesting and ask a question about it.

Just keep your message short.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time they will come back to you with an answer,” she says.

“If they don’t accept (your connection request), just start commenting on their articles or posts so your name starts popping up (on their radar).”

SHOW YOUR RESEARCH

Demonstrate your understanding of the company through your cover letter or resume.

You may be able to get creative.

“I had a candidate (applying for a role in a horse-related industry) who did a photo shoot on a horse with the product the company sells,” Ferguson says.

“She then went into retail stores and asked where the product was placed and put together an information pack to present.

“She became the youngest state rep the company had ever hired.”

Ferguson also gives the example of a woman applying for a personal assistant position who wrote out a menu, costed it and paired wines, then sent it in with her application.

“It’s not always possible to do that kind of thing, but it’s about thinking laterally,” she says.

SPRUCE UP YOUR RESUME

Applicants can help their resume stand out by including extra information that demonstrates specific strengths.

“Think about putting two short case study overviews in there that show how you work and achieve outcomes,” Ferguson says.

“You could put it as an example under the job heading.

“Pick your best project then give three points on how you did it and what the great outcomes were.”

She also recommends managers and leaders include a short paragraph defining their leadership style.

GET ARTY

Many people in creative industries – such as advertising or graphic design – apply for jobs with a portfolio, but Ferguson suggests everyone can do this.

She recommends using Canva to showcase the highlights of your career, including logos, hyperlinks, lots of colour and beautiful graphics.

“If you are uploading your application online, you probably need to pull it into a resume, at the end,” she says.

USE TESTIMONIALS

In industries where everyone knows everyone, Ferguson suggests jobseekers collect recommendations from people they have worked with.

“Get them to record (on video) something great about you,” she says.

“They are not doing it on behalf of the company or as an official reference, but they might say ‘I loved working with them because they do this and are this kind of person’.

“We have TikTok resumes these days, so why can’t we use video?”

Real estate agent Jason Adcock hired Charlotte Agace because she gave him a call rather than a text. PICTURE: Brad Fleet

PICK UP THE PHONE

A simple phone call made all the difference when Adcock Prestige’s Charlotte Agace applied for her role selling real estate.

Principal Jason Adcock had made the decision to only interview people who bothered to give him a ring.

“Picking up the phone and calling me showed me that they were serious, they weren’t just firing off a text message to see what came back – they wanted to have a conversation with me and a chance to show me what they were made of,” he says.

“To me, one of the most important things is that the applicant shows that they have good people skills and can communicate with clients.

“In real estate we deal with people from all different walks of life, and the type of jobseeker who stands out to me is someone who is confident talking with anyone.”

Agace says she had researched Adcock and believed she was a good fit for the business.

“I thought the best way to (show him that) would be to telephone him directly and do a sales pitch on myself, and it worked,” she says.

“You won’t always be able to get the principal of an agency or a general manager on the phone, but you never know until your try.”

Originally published as 6 easy ways for jobseekers to give themselves an advantage